PORT ST. LUCIE – On its inaugural day on June 11, the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s Drone as First Responder (DFR) program demonstrated its life-saving potential during testing and evaluation as it successfully helped officers locate a missing autistic woman before she went into a nearby canal, according to police reports.

That day, the DFR program completed 17 missions from three operational drone docks strategically positioned throughout the city. The most significant response involved a report of an autistic female walking through a wooded area near a canal bank.

A DFR drone was remotely deployed and arrived on scene before responding officers. Using live video capabilities, the drone located both the missing female and the reporting party, according to police reports. Drone operators maintained visual contact and directed responding officers to their exact location, allowing officers to safely reunite the woman with her family before the situation could escalate into a more dangerous outcome, according to police reports..

“This program is about saving lives, and on day one, that’s exactly what it helped us do,”

Chief Leo Niemczyk said in a statement. “The successful location of a vulnerable autistic female near a canal before officers arrived demonstrates the tremendous value this technology brings to our community. This is more than a drone program, it’s a public safety tool that allows us to respond faster, gather critical information and make better decisions when seconds matter.”

Also on the first day, DFR drones responded to a variety of calls for service including a burglary in progress, where the drone provided aerial overwatch as officers approached and cleared the home; a domestic violence investigation, where the drone arrived before patrol officers and located a suspect in a backyard, providing real-time intelligence and a live video feed to responding officers and supervisors, according to police reports.

In addition, multiple disturbance calls used drones to local groups of juveniles to let officers assess conditions and determine the appropriate response.

As emergency calls are received, trained personnel can remotely deploy drones from the police department, often placing eyes on scene before officers arrive, according to police reports. In many cases, drones can reach calls within seconds, while the longest travel time within the coverage area is about four minutes.

Once fully operational, the program will consist of six strategically located drone docks throughout the city. Three docks are currently installed and active as part of the testing and evaluation phase.

Each drone has an average flight time of approximately 25 to 35 minutes depending on weather conditions and provides real-time situational awareness to officers responding to emergencies.

DFR drones may be deployed to incidents including active threats, burglaries, robberies, shootings, kidnappings, barricaded subjects, school-related emergencies, felony traffic stops, and fleeing suspects. They can also assist with locating missing adults or children, motor vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, structure and brush fires, and traffic monitoring.

The launch of the program was made possible by PSLPD’s Drone as First Responder team, which currently consists of 12 specially trained officers.

“Technology will never replace our officers,” Niemczyk added. “But when technology allows us to locate a vulnerable person faster, improve officer safety, and provide better service to our residents, it’s an investment worth making. Day one proved exactly why this program matters.”